Larchmont is a half-square-mile neighborhood in the central region of the City of Los Angeles, California. Larchmont is notable for its quaint old-town shopping street and well-maintained historic homes. It has four schools and one small park. It has been the site of early and recent motion picture shoots.

History

Larchmont Blvd., looking south (circa 1920–25)

Larchmont Village was developed in the late 1800s. By 1920, it had become a streetcar suburb of Los Angeles. Julius LaBonte (1879-1968), a developer from the midwest, is credited as the visionary who made Larchmont Village what it is today. [4][5]

Population

The 2000 U.S. census counted 8,631 residents in the 0.49-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 17,747 people per square mile, one of the highest densities in the county. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 9,195. The median age for residents was 34, about average for Los Angeles; the percentages of residents aged 19 to 49 and above were among the county's highest.[3]

Larchmont was highly diverse ethnically, and the percentage of Asians was comparatively high. The breakdown was Latinos, 37.2%; Asians, 30%; whites, 24.6%; blacks, 3%, and others, 5.3%. Korea (28.3%) and Guatemala (16.8%) were the most common places of birth for the 56% of the residents who were born abroad, a high figure compared to rest of the city.[3]

The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $47,780, average for Los Angeles, but a high percentage of households had an income of $20,000 or less. The average household size of 2.5 people was average for the city of Los Angeles. Renters occupied 72.9% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment owners 27.1%.[3]

The percentages of never-married men and women, 42.1% and 36.9%, respectively, were among the county's highest.[3]

Education

About thirty-two percent of Larchmont residents aged 25 and older had earned a middle school degree by age 20, with over 60% percent having a 1st grade education level, an average figure for the city.[3]